August Saw Record-Breaking Heat and Below-Average Rainfall

DECORAH — August 2024 brought record-breaking heat and below-average rainfall, making it one of the hottest and driest Augusts on record in the region, according to meteorologist and Luther Faculty member Richard Bernatz. Two consecutive days at the end of the month set new daily high temperature records. On August 26, the temperature reached 97°F, surpassing the previous record of 96°F set in 1948 and 2020. The following day, August 27, hit 98°F, breaking another record. Overnight lows also reached record maximums, with temperatures of 73°F on August 5 and 25, and 74°F on August 26. These readings exceeded the previous overnight low records, which dated back to as early as 1947. The overall average temperature for August was 73.8°F, 3.4°F above the historical norm. The warmest temperature for the month occurred on August 27 at 98°F, while the coldest reading, 49°F, was recorded on August 11. Precipitation for August totaled 1.87 inches, which is 2.16 inches below the monthly average of 4.03 inches. Eight days saw measurable rainfall, just one day fewer than the average. The greatest single-day total of 0.74 inches fell on August 15. Overall, August 2024 ranked as one of the drier Augusts, with only 24 Augusts in the last 132 years being drier. This summer, temperatures continued to trend higher than average, with August marking the twelfth consecutive month of above-average warmth. Though seven of the last twelve months have been wetter than average, the last two months have seen drier conditions. Looking at the broader context of meteorological summer (June–August), 2024 ranked 27th in severity out of the last 129 summers, with warmer temperatures and less precipitation than average. The average maximum temperature for the summer was 84.5°F, while the average minimum was 62.0°F. Precipitation for the summer totaled 12.38 inches, slightly below the seasonal average of 12.93 inches. Historically, the hottest summer occurred in 1901 with an index of 18.94, while the coolest and wettest summer on record was in 1993 with an index of -16.59. August 2024, while not breaking those extremes, will be remembered as one of the warmer, drier months in recent memory. Elevate your inbox with the DecorahNews.com newsletter! Receive free thought-provoking articles, actionable advice and inspiring stories every week.